Sarah Lapenta-H

• Born a third-generation Italian-American in Detroit, Michigan, Sarah lived many years in southern Indiana before relocating to earn a BS in Business Management from Krannert School of Management, Purdue University (1997). She worked for several years in management for a variety of organizations, including AmeriCorps service in Indiana and California. In this time, she garnered experience in grant writing/grants management, budget development and bookkeeping, developing and QA of policies and procedures, as well as HR and PR.

  Since 1994, Sarah has been a consistent, creative leadership presence in a diversity of “mission,” “program,” and “resource” size churches across Christian denominations. In 2008, Sarah earned a Master of Divinity with foci on multicultural relations and pastoral care from Fuller Theological Seminary. Building on earlier work as an Adult Probation Officer, her lay chaplain training, and Chaplain volunteer work, Sarah completed a Chaplain Residency in 2009 (Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, 4-units), including Trauma I/II, Sub-acute, and ministry as the ER Chaplain.

  Sarah currently serves quarter-time as a Lutheran-Episcopal Chaplain at California State University in Long Beach and as a quarter-time Curate at St. John’s Cathedral, Los Angeles. Additionally, she is employed as a per-diem at a local hospital and is in the last of a three-year program in Retreat/Spiritual Direction from the Spirituality Center, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, already offering individual spiritual direction and group retreats. She is a Beijing Circle facilitator and volunteers on the Board of Trustees for the Center for Action and Contemplation and for Jubilee Consortium.

  For fun, she enjoys art, camping, gardening, jazz, poetry, sewing, sketch comedy, and walking with friends.

  Contact Sarah for more information on designing or facilitating retreats, as well as leading individual or group spiritual direction.

  Selected Retreats

  Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Annual Women’s Retreat, September 2010
  St. John’s Cathedral, Sage Hill Family Retreat, August 2010
  Camp Steven’s, International Odyssey Week, August 2010
  St. John’s Cathedral, Big Bear Family Retreat, July 2010

  Selected Preaching Experience

  St. John’s Cathedral, Los Angeles CA, 2009 – Presently
  Trinity Episcopal Church, Los Angeles CA 2010
  St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Hollywood CA, 2007 – 2009
  Mennonite Church, Pasadena CA, 2006
  Grace Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, Temple City CA. 2006
  Korean Women’s Fellowship, Fuller Theological Seminary, 2005
  African American Chapel, Fuller Theological Seminary, 2004
  Evangelical Free Church, Fresno CA, 2002-2003
  Lydia’s House, Fresno CA, 2000-2003

  Selected Presentations and Publications

  “Prayerfully Connecting Dots: Weeble Wobbles, Archetypes, and the Divine Feminine,” a essay for Radical Grace (anticipated publication in 2011).

  “Toward Hilaritas: Christian commitment to Beauty and Restorative Justice,” a non-research paper to be presented for the Spirituality Section of the College Theological Society’s annual conference (June 2010).

  “Deep Deep Deep” and “My Voice Would Carry the Invitation—A Response to Hosea,” two poetic prayers in Lifting Women’s Voices: Prayers to Change the World. Eds Margaret Rose, Jeanne Person, et al. (Morehouse Publishing, 2009).

  “Sexism,” a solicited entry for the Global Dictionary of Theology. Eds William A Dyrness and Veli-Matti Karkkainen, et al. (InterVarsity Press, 2008).

  “More than Silhouettes: Women as Artistic Role Models in Conflict Transformation,” a research paper presented in a Women and Religion section at the annual American Academy of Religion conference (November 2007).

  “‘Draw Near’ Together with Creativity and Grace: Missionally Engaging the Creative Class through the Confession of Faith,” a research paper presented at the annual Anabaptist Sociologists and Anthropologists Association conference, AMBS (June 2006).